Breaking the Cycle
by hollowblade
Summary: Itachi is reincarnated as Naruto and Hinata's third child, and giving hope for Konoha to mend its dark past and break through the hatred started between Senju and Uchiha. Next Gen Fic.
1. Rebirth

If anyone had ever believed at one point in their lives that the hospital was a comforting place, then they were not right in the head. The hospital was filled with patients that had just about any form of disease that one could imagine, and only too few doctors to aid them. They would be in a constant rush, hurrying from patient to patient with little time to spare. Not only that, but a hospital is filled with an assortment of chemicals with names that could make your head spin, and if used incorrectly, could kill you. A hospital is one of the most potentially haphazard and dangerous places you can be, and yet, the single most miraculous event in human history occurs within the confines of these ghostly white halls.

Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha Jounin just a year past his twenty-fifth birthday, was sitting on a couch in the middle of the hospital's maternity ward's waiting area. His outfit stuck him out like a sore thumb. Naruto had never quite quit his obsession with the color orange. He wore the typical black, long-sleeved shirt under his Chuunin vest, but he still wore orange pants much like he wore in the past. Overtop all this was a long, short-sleeved coat very similar to the one he wore in his battle against Nagato, but instead of red, the coat was orange with the same black flames lining the bottom.

Naruto tried not to show it, but he was very anxious. He had lost track of how long he has been waiting some time ago. Naruto was with his wife earlier when the birth had started. However, they both knew how queasy Naruto would get in these situations. Naruto insisted on staying, but anyone could tell he was trying his hardest not to get sick. Eventually, the nurse told him to leave. The nurse didn't want Naruto getting sick in the room, so it was more like he was kicked out.

This was not the first time Naruto had been through this. He and his wife, Hinata, had already been blessed with two wonderful children five years ago. Naruto looked down to his right and saw his son, Hyuuga Hizashi, asleep with his back resting on Naruto's side, and to Naruto's left was Hizashi's twin sister, Uzumaki Natsuko, who was also asleep using her father's lap as a pillow. The twins were not identical, which was obvious in their appearance. Hizashi had the typical lavender eyes of a Hyuuga and had short, brown hair that was a little messy compared to other Hyuuga. Natsuko had bright blue eyes and blonde hair, like her father, and she had her hair cut down to her shoulders. However, they were not only different in appearance but in attitude as well. Natsuko was very much like her father where she was very eccentric and would always speak her mind. Although, it would get so bad that some people mistakenly thought that she legitimately had ADHD. Hizashi was very quiet and well-mannered in contrast to his twin. It wasn't that he was shy; it was just that he had a good ability in reading people and knew how to act in certain situations.

Naruto stared down at his two beautiful children and a he allowed a small smile. He already has two amazing children, and now a third is coming along soon. Right now, Naruto thought he was the happiest, luckiest person alive, and nothing could possibly ruin his mood. He remembered back to when Hinata was pregnant with Natsuko and Hizashi; he was a nervous wreck, for more than one reason. For one, Hinata was pregnant! He had no experience in something like that before. Hinata was never the one to allow her emotions to get the better of her, but that didn't stop her insatiable urges and various mood swings. Naruto didn't know when or where she learned it, but whenever Naruto tried to talk her out of a burger in the middle of the night, Hinata would just give him this hostile glare that made him shut up right there and then. While raising Natsuko and Hizashi, Hinata had decided that the glare was very useful in her parenting and made it into her own. Though, instead of this violent glare, she kept the face of a happy mother with a beautiful small on her face, but the aura that came from her contradicted this, as the look she gave you sent a cold shiver down your spine and just left you feeling very awkward and frightened. She would use this many times in order to keep Natsuko, and occasionally Hizashi, in check.

However, the bigger issue with Hinata's first pregnancy was Naruto's in-laws, the Hyuuga Clan. Originally, the prestigious clan had no problem with Naruto's and Hinata's courtship. Naruto had established himself as a very capable shinobi and leader. Because of his efforts against the Akatsuki and in the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, Konohagakure had made permanent allies with Amekagure, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Lightening. Also, even though they weren't technically allies, the Land of Fire was in better relations with the Land of Earth and the Land of Water. However, when the news of Hinata's pregnancy reached their ears, they became slightly worried. They were afraid of the blood of the main family would become tainted, feeling a half-breed Hyuuga would not be a sufficient heir. Even though Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi, had been legally declared the heir to the seat of clan leader years ago, Hinata's child would become the one to claim the title of clan leader after Hanabi, as Hinata still had this right as first born. This meant that any child Hanabi would bear would be branded with the seal of the cadet branch. Hanabi had no problem with this, as the seal had been altered just a few years ago. Hinata, Hanabi, Neji, and Naruto had painstakingly researched the cursed seal and had succeeded in changing its nature. The effect that when a branch family would die the Byakugan would be sealed away stayed, but the ability for the main family to control the branch family was removed. This changed the branch family's role from servants to protectors.

Soon, once Hinata's pregnancy reached its second month, the evidence of fraternal twins began to show. The Hyuuga elders took a sigh of relieve in that a proper Hyuuga may be born, but they never got their hopes up. This was a difficult time as Hinata's mood swings became worse and the tension from Naruto's in-laws did not help in the situation. So when Natsuko and Hizashi were finally born, Naruto could have leaped right through the hospital to reach the heavens and thank God personally. He almost did, but the ceiling of the hospital room was a lot sturdier then he first imagined. Hizashi did not exactly have the appearance that the Hyuuga main family had wanted, but this was quickly overlooked has Hizashi would soon show great promise in Juuken, along with a larger then normal chakra volume for a Hyuuga. This was no doubt the influence of the father.

Back in the present, Naruto was still overlooking his two children and beamed. It was true that in, and before the beginning, those two had caused him and Hinata some trouble, but it was worth it. Becoming a parent is probably the single greatest thing that has happened to him, next to marrying Hinata, and it seems to just change a person. Naruto had always heard this in his childhood and never really gave it a second thought. He just always thought that having a baby was like receiving a gift, you are absolutely in love with it at first but a month or two later the thing would be found collecting dust on high some shelf. Boy was he wrong, mainly because the fact is that, it was true! Having children of your own really does change you, and it also gives you a sense of pride. His thoughts were then interrupted by a familiar voice and Naruto quickly brought his head up toward the source.

"Yo, baka!" Sakura greeted him in an overly friendly tone. Unlike Naruto, her attire fit into her surroundings a lot better. She had long since stopped wearing clothes fit for combat, as she now had a permanent position within the hospital. Now she wore a basic medical uniform, which for Sakura was a pair of red scrubs and a long-sleeved, and a pure white haori that she wore like a lab coat.

"Hey, Sakura." Naruto returned the greeting. "Do you think that there will be any possibility that you will stop calling me by that little nickname you've given me, I do believe that I have matured enough for that."

"Not a chance." Sakura said as she placed herself down on the couch. There was just enough room for her next to Hizashi.

"I won't argue that you're much more mature then you used to be, but you'll always be a baka to me."

Sakura then looked down at the sleeping Hizashi, and then turned her attention toward Narsuko. A small smile then appeared on her face.

"You know, I have to admit that I have still not gotten over the fact that you're a father. If someone had told me this fourteen or thirteen years ago, I would have said that that person was crazy, and then I would have contacted Child Protection Services to make sure that it would never happen."

"Wow, Sakura, your confidence in me is staggering." Naruto said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Oh, come on Naruto, it was just a little joke. Anyway, I haven't seen these little guys in such a while. It would be nice if you and Hinata would visit more often." Sakura said while she leaned over to pat Natsuko's and Hizashi's head. Naruto would have told her that she should just settle down and start a family of her own and stop using his children to replace her lack of, but the last time he said something like that, Naruto found himself lying on his back with a bloody nose. Sakura then stopped patting Naruto's children and let out a heavy sigh as she leaned back into her own seat.

"Alright, with catching up done, there is something I want to talk to you about seriously."

"Seriously!" Naruto repeated, while putting on a fake ignorant face of a child. He was trying to mess with her.

"Yes, I'm being serious right now, so stop goofing off." Sakura paused and cleared her throat.

"You know, Lady Tsunade is getting along in her years. She doesn't like to admit it, but, she is. Before you know it, she will be as old as the Third before he died. Everyone is expecting her to start looking for possible candidates soon and…" Naruto put his hand up in front of Sakura as a single for her to stop talking.

"We've had this talk already, and my decision stands firm."

"But everyone's looking toward you to replace her! Hell, you're the only person fit for the position."

"That doesn't change my answer. If they want me so badly then tell them to just wait a little longer."

"Baka, the title of Hokage isn't something to be taken so lightly! You of all people should know how important its!"

"Of course I do! It's just…" Naruto stopped as he looked back at his two children. Hizashi had begun to slouch a bit and one of his legs was now dangling off his chair from the knee down. Natsuko had switched from lying on her side to her back. Once again, Naruto couldn't help but break into a smile. The very thought that he had two kids of his own, and that they were currently using him as his pillow, just made him feel purely happy. A rare kind of happiness that one could only feel once they themselves had become a father.

"It's just that I have something much more important in my life. Natsuko, Hizashi, and my recently born son are now the most treasured people in my life. I want to be there for them. I never grew up knowing my own father and I don't want them growing up with a lack of one like I did. If I were to take the position of Hokage now, I would be missing the most important moments in my children's lives, and I just can't bring myself to do such a thing."

Naruto had been staring down at his children as he was saying this, admiring their very existence. He brought himself to look back at Sakura, giving her a smile like he had just found the meaning of true happiness, and honestly, Naruto truly believes he has.

"If I were to choose, I would rather be with my family then be the Hokage any day."

Sakura was instantly taken aback. Naruto pretty much out-right denied his life-long dream. Naruto said that he would refuse the title of Hokage if it meant losing time with his family, and he said it with absolute certainty and dedication. Sakura couldn't quite believe what she was hearing; this was coming from the boy that was always screaming that he would be the next Hokage until he ran out of breath. Where did that boy go? What happened to him? The answer was right in front of her, as Naruto had been saying it the entire time. It was those two angels that were now resting their five-year-old bodies on their father. Could becoming a father, a parent, change someone this much. Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine what that feeling was like, to hold such a precious existence in your arms, and know that you were one of people to help bring that existence into the world. She couldn't fathom it, and yet she knew that it was something remarkable. Truthfully, she was envious, but she was glad as well. If it was one person that deserved such happiness, it was Naruto. Sakura removed herself from her thoughts and smiled back at him.

"Well, would you look at that? It seems that Konoha's number one knuckleheaded shinobi has finally grown up."

"Thanks, Sakura." Naruto replied.

"Yeah, but you will always be a baka to me." Sakura said with a sneer.

The two former teammates began to laugh. It felt good. Any anxiety Naruto had was now gone. He couldn't remember what he was so anxious about in the first place, and then it came right back him. What was making him nervous was what made him nervous the first time around. It was the tension he was being given by his in-laws, the Hyuuga clan. They had their heir, but they felt unsettled by this second pregnancy. There was only one child this time around, and they believed this meant that the newborn will be a true half-breed Hyuuga. They were a very prestigious clan, and they were hesitant in bringing in such a child. However, they were also unwilling to give the child the Uzumaki name. They didn't want a child who had a possibility of possessing the Byakugan to belong to any other family. Even to this very day, they were undecided on the issue. Little did they know that all of their debates were completely pointless.

Naruto had already known, since even before the moment of his son's conception, that the child would be neither a Hyuuga nor an Uzumaki, he was going to be an Uchiha. Right before his death, Uchiha Itachi had confronted Naruto and questioned him about his intentions with Sasuke, who had become a rogue shinobi. Itachi had warned him that Sasuke would target Konoha, but Naruto didn't believe him and continued to say how he would bring Sasuke back to Konoha alive. Itachi knew that Naruto could not be swayed from his decision, so he did the only thing he could do to help him. As a part of his final contingency plan, Itachi had sealed a part of himself inside of Naruto. Itachi knew that Sasuke would take his eyes to create an Eternal Mangekyou, and that Naruto would need the aid of Itachi's power in order to overcome it. However, when Naruto had finally become aware of Itachi's presence within his psych, he constantly refused any help from the Uchiha. Naruto was determined on defeating Sasuke using his own power and hard work, but when the day came when Naruto finally confronted Sasuke, they fought each other to a stand still. Konoha and the other major villages had defeated Madara and the Akatsuki, but Sasuke had managed to escape and went into hiding.

Now, with the war over, not only did Naruto have a vicious demon living within his psych, but a misunderstood political criminal as well. Although, Naruto didn't completely mind Itachi living inside his mind because Itachi was certainly much smarter than Naruto and he did give good advice. Also, after digging around in Naruto's memories, Itachi was the one to finally give the push he needed in order to respond to Hinata's confession; not before helping Naruto realize how much Hinata really meant to him, of course. Naruto was truly grateful toward Itachi for that, even though Itachi said the only reason he intervened was that he believed it was rude how Naruto just kind of left her out in the cold like that and found it rather annoying.

The reason didn't matter to Naruto, and he gave Itachi a fairly good proposition. Naruto offered Itachi a second chance at life. Itachi had just looked at him like he was insane or something, but Naruto was serious. He had paid a visit to Ino's father, Inoichi, and consulted him about the issue. He said it was possible, but it has never been done before and the only way to be sure was to try it. What Naruto's plan was exactly was that he planned Itachi to be reborn through one of his children. He got Itachi to consider it at first, but it took him a while to finally agree to the idea. During Hinata's first pregnancy, Itachi stayed within Naruto's psych because of the political reasons behind it. Also, there was the possibility that Itachi would be split in two and shared between the twins. So they decided to try with the next pregnancy.

Now, it wasn't like reincarnating Itachi was the reason behind Naruto having children. Hinata's pregnancies were completely unrelated, as that Naruto and Hinata weren't really trying, it just happened. Itachi knew this and didn't mind. He didn't want Naruto and Hinata to rush things for his sake.

The second pregnancy was successful, as there was no trace of Itachi left in Naruto's psych. Now, to make sure there was no confusion as to why an Uchiha was born when neither of the parents was one, Naruto had already explained the situation thoroughly to Hinata and Tsunade before the first pregnancy.

All of a sudden, Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of his coat being yanked on. He snapped out of his deep thoughts and looked to see his only daughter lifting herself up by tugging on her father's coat, meeting him at eye-level. She was glaring her bright blue eyes into her father's own.

"The two of you seem pretty chummy right now. If do anything that would make mom upset then I will never forgive you." Natsuko scowled.

"Oh, and what could I possibly be doing that would make your mom upset?" Naruto answered.

"You know, stuff." Naruto chuckled at his daughters response and patted her on the head.

"Alright, with that aside, how long have you been awake, Natsuko." Naruto asked his daughter as she got down from his lap and began to stretch her body. Her orange T-shirt didn't hang to far over her blue shorts, so her belly showed as she raised herself up on her toes as she stretched.

"It was hard to sleep with you two talking." Said another, which was Hizashi has he had gotten off his chair to begin stretching his arms out. His long black T-shirt hung over his black shorts so he wasn't exposing any skin.

"And no one really needs to worry about what Natsuko says. She is an idiot and has no clue as to what she is talking about."

"Oh yeah?" Natsuko then caught Hizashi in a Full Nelson, lifting him a couple inches from the ground.

"Is that any way to talk about your older sister?"

"You're only older by one minute!" Hizashi said as he was trying to squirm out of Natsuko's grip. However, when it came to endurance and brute strength, Natsuko out-classes Hizashi completely.

"Let go of me!" Hizashi yelled at his sister.

"As you wish." Natsuko said, dropping Hizashi on the floor.

"Come on now, don't fight." Naruto pleaded. "You know your mother doesn't like it."

"Oh, but I'm so bored." Natsuko complained. "When am I going to get to see my new little brother."

"Don't worry; they'll let us in soon." Naruto said, trying to calm his daughter down.

"What!" Sakura gave Naruto on of those 'I can't believe what a heard' looks. "You mean you haven't seen your new son because they won't let you in yet?"

"Well, yeah. I was told to wait out here until they were ready."

"What the hell, Naruto! I would expect you to barge into Hinata's and not let anyone tell you what to do. When did you ever become so mellow?" Even as Sakura said this, she knew that the two answers were standing just a couple feet from her. She then stood up and stared down at Naruto to dramatize her point.

"Besides, you are Uzumaki Naruto, there isn't a single person in this village who doesn't know who you are and the things that you have accomplished."

"So, that doesn't give me the right to break the hospital's rules."

"There can be exceptions, especially in this situation. It's your son for God's sake! Besides, don't you realize you're talking to the current Chief of Medicine here? If I say that you can go see your son, then you can go see him and no one could stop you."

Naruto just stared at her with a shocked look on his face. Sakura had pretty much given him permission to break the rules of her own hospital, which she took very seriously. Naruto had even seen her scold an intern for being twenty seconds late to her shift. Naruto smiled his usual goofy grin.

"You know what, you're right. I'm being completely out of character. Look out, 'cause I'm coming in there whether you are ready for me or not!"

And with that, Naruto practically leaped up from his seat and charged straight into his wife's room.

"Hey, Hina…" Naruto stopped mid sentence has he was opening the door. What he saw before him was a truly beautiful sight that left him in awe. Hinata was sitting straight up in her hospital bed, with a nurse standing beside the bed. Her long, silky raven-colored hair hung from her head, and her lavender-tinted eyes were completely focused on the tiny newborn that she was cradling in her arms. The expression on her face was nothing less then pure bliss. The sunlight shone in through the large window, hitting the mother and her child at the perfect angle. After noticing Naruto's sudden entrance, Hinata looked up at him and gave him a smile that just made him melt inside.

"Oh, Naruto." Hinata began, her voice sounded like a chorus of angels to Naruto. "The nurse was just about to tell you that you and the kids could come in."

Naruto was about to respond, but he was interrupted by his daughter squeezing between him and the doorway, rushing into the room.

"Mommy!" Natsuko yelled as she leaped up onto Hinata's bed. Hizashi calmly walked in after her, followed by Sakura. Hizashi then walked up to the side of his mother's bed.

"Can we see him mom?" Hizashi asked. The way Hinata was holding her newborn caused his face to be hidden from view.

"Yeah, I wanna see my cute, new little brother!" Natsuko exclaimed.

"Alright, alright, calm down." Hinata said calmly as she held out her new son. "Here he is."

The child was asleep. His tiny hands were balled up into fists and raised up toward his puffy cheeked face. The blanket that he was wrapped in slowly rose up and down as his breathing was steady as he slept.

"Say hello to your brother and sister, Itachi."

"Kawaii! I wanna hold him." Natsuko reached out with toward Itachi. Hinata placed Itachi in her arms, making sure Natsuko was holding him correctly.

"You named him weasel?" Hizashi asked skeptically.

"I think it's absolutely adorable!" Natsuko said as she began to hug Itachi closer to herself.

"Since when does the tomboy find things cute?"

"Back off, this is different!" Natsuko and Hizashi glared at each other. You could practically see the sparks shooting out of their eyes.

"Itachi? So it worked?" Sakura asked, turning toward Naruto.

"Hm? Oh, I didn't know you knew." Naruto said, rather surprised.

"Yeah, Lady Tsunade filled me in. I am the one running this hospital; there was no way I was going to let something like this slip past me." Sakura said with a sneer. She was pretty much bragging.

"However, I may know what's going on, but I don't why. So tell me, Naruto, why did you want to reincarnate Itachi."

"Well, Sakura, I'm not entirely sure myself why." Naruto paused as he folded his arms and looked like he was going into deep thought.

"I just seemed like the right thing to do. The things the Uchiha clan had gone through at the expense of the Senju, it just seemed unfair to me. I mean, I am not blaming Senju entirely and I cannot condone Madara's actions, both clans are at fault. However, I could sympathize with the situation. The efforts of the early Senju clan and Madara's attack on Konoha twenty-six years ago laid the foundation of the Uchiha's downfall. The Uchiha Massacre was an event that should never have happened, and it was something that could have been avoided if both sides could have just thrown away their pride and strived for a peaceful resolve."

"But it's too late to change what our ancesters have done in the past. All I can hope for now is a new start. With the birth of my son, Uchiha Itachi, the Uchiha clan shall have a clean slate, a place to begin anew. Being my and Hinata's child, he will be born outside the cycle of hatred created between the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan of old. I want to see him strive to become successful and rebuild the Uchiha into a prominent clan, one that would be proud of their clan and village and inherit the Will of Fire."

As Sakura listened to Naruto, she could see the sincerity in his eyes. He truly believed every word of what he just said, and that his son was truly going to be able to accomplish those ambitions. Sakura smiled and started to nudge him with her elbow.

"So, is this your plan in creating peace?"

"Um, well, one of them. It certainly is a place to start. If I want to create a long-lasting peace with the other nations, then I need to at least find a way to make peace within my own village. Also, I won't let Itachi go into this blind. I plan to tell him everything about our village's foundation, and I won't tell him that history biased toward a particular side. It won't be just Konoha's beginnings, either. I'm sure once he gets to the academy that he will be taught Madara was a tyrant bent on ruling the world and that Sasuke was an evil man that would show no mercy to anyone who would get in his way. I am going to tell him the truth, and I want him to understand why Madara and Sasuke were pushed into doing what they did. Then, once he knows everything, all I can do from there is hope he makes the right decisions."

"Well, that's good and all, but…" Sakura cringed as the thought had crossed her mind. "What if he decides to follow in Sasuke's footsteps, and swears a vendetta against Konoha just as Sasuke has."

"Then that will be what he decides for himself, and if he is truly dedicated to that, then I cannot stop him." Naruto looked back at Sakura as she gave him a worried look.

"But, I don't think he will. I could be saying this just because he is my son, but I am sure that he will make the right choice. Besides, it's generally agreed upon that parents should believe in their children, right?"

"Hmph, what would I know about that, baka." Sakura said jokingly, but Naruto knew that she was hurt by it.

"Come on, Sakura. I'm sure that there is someone out there that would be willing to give you kids, providing you don't scare away the guy first."

"Agh, you really are a baka!" Sakura said, pushing Naruto's head down with her fist.

"Okay, stop it, I'm sorry already. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to hold my newborn son now."

Naruto then walked over toward his wife and sat down next to her. Hinata took Itachi from Natsuko, which was difficult as she did not want to let him go, and gave him to Naruto. To Sakura, she couldn't think of a scene that was more perfect then what was before her right at that moment. It was a picture perfect family. Just by watching them, you knew that no matter what came their way, they would get through it. There are only a few families in the world that could do that to a person. Again, Sakura was a little envious, but she was truly happy for them, and despite her earlier comment, she was sure that as long as Naruto and the rest of his family was there for him, Itachi might just be able to pull it off and bring peace to Konohagakure.


	2. Fateful Encounter

It was eight in the morning and a boy of about six years of age was walking down a hallway toward his parent's bedroom. The boy was young, but very well built, and would be considered handsome. He had black eyes and long black hair that stretched halfway down his back. It was tied in a ponytail. He was wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts. On the back of his T-shirt was an insignia. The insignia was shaped like a fan, the handle was white and the fan was red. When the boy reached his parent's door, he pulled out a kunai knife, gripped it in his right hand, and quietly opened it. The opening was just wide enough for the boy to slip in without making a single sound. He took a step toward his parent's bed; there was still no sign of movement from the bed. This meant the boy hasn't been noticed yet. He took another step and then another. The boy was feeling confident in his stealthiness, and now was the moment where he would strike. The boy jumped, kunai in hand.

"Yeah!"

"Your too loud, dumbass!" The boy's father instantly arose from his bed, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and kicked the boy into the wall.

"You were doing just fine before your little war cry, Itachi." Uzumaki Naruto told his son

The boy sat up as he had fallen to the floor after he hit the wall. He just looked up at his dad with a big goofy grin on his face.

"I just got a little excited, that's all." The boy explained while rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "Besides, mom told me to get you."

"I doubt she told you to try and ambush me in my sleep."

"No, she didn't, but I was so sure I wouldn't have been caught."

"Itachi, I knew what you were doing even before leaped into the air, screaming your head off." Uzumaki Naruto yawned as he ran his fingers through his messy blonde hair.

"Anyway, go tell your mother that I'll be down soon, just let me get dressed."

"Okay." Itachi got up and raced out and ran down the stairs that were at the end of the hallway. The stairs led to another hallway, but his destination was just to his left as Itachi reached the bottom of the stairs. Itachi ran through the opening to the kitchen to see his mother making breakfast.

"Hello, Itachi, did you wake your father?" Itachi's mother, Hyuuga Hinata, was without a doubt a beautiful woman. She had long dark blue hair and her bangs had grown out in a way that she resembled her mother even more then she did as a child. She also had lavender-grey eyes that were very common within the Hyuuga clan. She had fair skin and an amazing hourglass figure. She was wearing navy shorts and a navy T-shirt, with a sleeveless fishnet shirt under that.

"Yeah, he's just getting dressed now." Itachi went to sit on one of chairs surrounding the kitchen table, but he was interrupted. All Itachi saw was an orange and blue blur that tackled him to the ground. The person who tackled him wrestled Itachi to the ground. Itachi tried to wriggle out, but his attacker only hugged tighter.

"Stop struggling, Itachi. There is nothing wrong with someone showing their little brother a little affection." Uzumaki Natsuko was Itachi's older sister by five years. She had blue eyes and long, straight blonde hair that was waist length. She wore orange pants and a short-sleeved, orange short jacket. Under the jacket, Natsuko wore a fishnet T-shirt. For as long as he could remember, Natsuko had always been overly affectionate with Itachi, she would be considered of having a classic case of a little brother complex. She couldn't leave him alone. It got so bad the Itachi would sometimes try to avoid her if necessary.

"There is something called too much affection, you know. Now get of me you shoutacon!"

"No! I'll be graduating from the Academy soon and I won't be able to spend a lot of time with you, so I'm savoring this."

"If he doesn't like it, then let him go already." A very grumpy Hyuuga said as he came into the kitchen.

"Oh, Hizashi, I didn't know you were up." Natsuko said.

"It's hard to sleep with all this commotion." Hyuuga Hizashi was Natsuko's twin brother and heir to Konoha's prestigious Hyuuga clan. Hizashi had the typical lavender eyes of Hyuuga, but had messy brown hair. Not messy like their dad's, oh no, Hizashi's was much tamer. Hizashi was usually seen wearing traditional white and black Hyuuga robes. Most people believe he wears them because it would make it easier to fight; however, this is a misconception. Hizashi wears the robes traditionally and casually because tighter clothes make him feel uncomfortable.

"Your brother's right, Natsuko, if Itachi's doesn't like being held like that then you should stop." Hinata told her only daughter.

"But mom, he's just so cute!"

"Natsuko…" Hinata turned toward her daughter. She was still showing her sweet smile, but the aura around changed which sent a chill down Natsuko's spine. "…if Itachi doesn't like being held like that then you should stop."

"Okay mom, whatever you say." And to Itachi's great joy, Natsuko let him go and joined her twin at the kitchen table.

"Mmmm, something smells good." Naruto had just come into the kitchen, wearing his black shirt and orange pants. He walked up behind Hinata and wrapped his hands around her waist. He nuzzled his face into her silky smooth hair. The affectionate action caused Hinata to giggle.

"And I don't think I'm talking about the breakfast."

"Corny!" Natsuko yelled from the table.

"You shut it!" Naruto retorted.

"I think it's sweet." Hinata said, defending her husband. Naruto smiled triumphantly.

"Even if his comments can be a little corny." Naruto then hung his head in shame.

"Burned!" Natsuko slammed her hand down on the table.

"You know, Natsuko, you shouldn't make such comments on ones love life when you have such a lack of one, flat chest." Of course Natsuko didn't take kindly to Hizashi's comment.

"You're one to talk. You have just as much experience as I do."

"I know, but I'm not the one acting like I do."

"You want me to kick your ass! You should treat your older sister with some respect."

Hizashi was just about to make another retort when they heard loud banging coming from the back door, which was in the kitchen.

"There is only one person in this village that would be here this early in the morning." Naruto said as he approached the door. When he opened it, he saw a girl of about six years old carrying a small, tan and white husky, whose name was Daika. The girl had chin length brown hair and black eyes with red fang tattoos under her eyes. She was sporting a brown, long-sleeved, V-neck with a fishnet T-shirt underneath, and she wore short, tan cargo pants.

"Oh, hello Etsuko." Naruto greeted the girl.

"Yo." Inuzuka Etsuko practically ignored Naruto as she made herself right at home, taking a seat next to Itachi. "Yeah there you freak of nature."

"Nice to see you to, mutt." Etsuko was Itachi's closet friend and training partner. They met only two years ago when their parents and all their comrades had a reunion. They ended up getting into an argument which turned into an all-out fist fight. They fought each other to a standstill, neither getting the upper hand on the other. No one knows how or why, but the two of them had started a pretty good friendship as a result of the fight. After that, they met up regularly to train together or to just hang out.

"Hello, Etsuko, I assume you'll be joining us for breakfast." Hinata asked.

"You kidding, of course I am! Everyone knows you're, like, the best cook ever."

"Well, I wouldn't say I am the best but I do all right."

"So, what's on the menu this morning?"

"Oh, just some omelettes." Just as Hinata finished her sentence, everyone in the room except for her quickly got in their seats, sat straight up, and commenced drooling.

"Alright everyone, don't get to excited. The omelettes are done now so you won't have to wait any longer." There was a triumphant cheer that ran throughout the Uzumaki-Hyuuga household and could be heard a across Konohagakure.

"Alright, well I think it's time for the kids to start leaving." Naruto said as everyone finished the best omelettes they ever had.

"What do you mean?" All four of the kids said in unison.

"Well, don't you two have to go to the Academy?" Naruto said to his two older children.

"Crap! You're right. C'mon, Hizashi, lets go!" Natsuko had launched herself from her seat and grabbed Hizashi by the collar.

"Don't be so hasty, and let go of me!" Hizashi screamed as the two of them disappeared from the room. The opening and closing of the front door cloud be heard as the twins left for school.

"We don't have to go anywhere, dad." Itachi pointed out.

"Yes, but I doubt Etsuko came by just to hang around the house all day." Naruto countered.

"Yep, come on Itachi." Etsuko got out of her seat, and grabbed Itachi's arm as she pulled him out through the back door with her husky in the other arm. Naruto watched them until he sure that there was no else there except for him and Hinata.

"Those lucky brats, they just don't have a care in the world."

"Well, maybe all those outbursts from Guy and Lee about youth aren't just for show then." Hinata pointed out.

"You got that right." Naruto starred at Hinata and got a suspicious smile on his face.

"And speaking of being youthful." The moment Naruto finished his sentence; Hinata found she was being picked up and carried on Naruto's left shoulder.

"Naruto!"

"Come on, Hinata. Everyone's gone, and we're married so there's nothing wrong with it."

"But doing that so early in the morning, have you no shame, Uzumaki Naruto." Both Naruto's and Hinata's head turned toward the door to see a familiar pink-haired medical-nin standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Sakura. Your hair looks like a mess."

"Your hair would look like this if you were working all night, baka. Anyway, I'm not here just to spoil your fun, there's something we need to talk about."

"So, what do you want to do?" Itachi asked Etsuko as they walked down the streets of Konoha.

"I don't know. Since we're going to be joining the Academy soon, all I can think about is training." Etsuko answered.

"I mean, just look at Daika here. He's absolutely exhausted from the work out I gave him yesterday." She motioned toward her small husky lazily resting in her arms. She then looked back to Itachi.

"So what about you, Itachi?"

"The same, all I feel like doing is training."

"Personally, I don't think you need the extra training. Don't you already have the ability to use katon jutsu, and let's not forget that Sharingan of yours."

"Oh yeah, my Sharingan, I haven't really shown it to you recently have I?" Itachi said with a smirk.

"What?"

"Hee, hee. Check this out." Itachi activated his Sharingan.

"Wow, you have two tomoe in your eyes now. When did that happen?"

"Actually, this was actually very recent. Kakashi-sensei has been helping out a lot with my Sharingan training. Dad doesn't really have that kind of expertise in that field."

"Well, I'm dying to try that little Sharingan of yours out."

"I wonder if you could handle it."

"Is that a challenge?"

"You bet your ass it is!"

"All right then you pompous Uchiha, to the training field!" The two friends and rivals raced each other down the street toward their destination.

When they reached the training area, Etsuko put Daika down next to one of the three logs lodged into the ground in order to sleep. They began with competitive exercises. They would see who could do the most sit ups, push ups, jump ropes, etc. Since it was required for most of her clan's jutsu, Etsuko was slightly better than Itachi in taijutsu and was able to beat him in most of the exercises.

After doing the variety of exercises, Itachi offered to spare, knowing he would do better in straight up combat. It was true that Itachi had the upper hand in a fight, and not just because of his Sharingan. It was the fact that he actually knew some non-academy rank jutsu, but only two. He had already been taught the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu and the Katon: Housenka no Jutsu. However, Etsuko was familiar with these two jutsu, and using her superior taijutsu, was able to avoid them. Etsuko knew no non-academy jutsu and fought mainly on sheer strength and willpower, while Itachi was a little more analytical in a fight. In this sense, Itachi and Etsuko were easily matched, but the Sharingan gave Itachi the edge he needed over Etsuko.

They beat at each other until neither could stand up. They both collapsed on the ground laughing, content with the results of their little bouts, which had no real conclusion since every single one of their fights ended with both of them exhausted, battered, and on the ground like they are now. Then they could ear the other's stomach growl at them.

"You hungry, mutt?"

"You have no idea." The two of them managed to get up, with great difficulty. It was worth it, as the place both were thinking of heading to was Ichiraku Ramen. Daika had rested while the two sparred and could easily follow the exhausted children as they left the training ground. Itachi and Etsuko each supported the other as they walked down the street toward their next destination. When they got there, they noticed someone was already there. It was a girl about their age. She had long, wavy blonde hair. She wore a basic maroon robe, and underneath she wore tight black pants and a fishnet shirt. The girl noticed the two approaching and turned to look. Itachi couldn't help but notice that she had beautiful violet eyes.

"Oh look, its Kyoko." Etsuko said while waving her arm.

"Oh, hello, Etsuko." Kyoko returned the greeting by waving back and with a small smile. She had a sweet smile.

"You know her?" Itachi asked

"Not that much, I met her just last week, but she's a good person." Etsuko answered. She then turned back to Kyoko. "You don't mind if we sit with you?"

"No, not at all." Kyoko watched the two of them struggle up onto their seats, Itachi next to Kyoko and Etsuko next to Itachi. She smiled as Itachi met her at eye level. "What's your name?"

"Um, my name is Uchiha Itachi." He answered, with a little blush.

"It's okay to laugh at his name; he is quite the little weasel." Etsuko butted in.

"I'm not a weasel!" Itachi was about to try and pummel Etsuko for the comment, but Teuchi intervened.

"I don't think that's necessary, the two of you look beat up as it is."

"Naw, it's just a little training."

"Well, don't over do it. Now, what would you like to order?"

"Just the usual for me." Itachi answered.

"I second that motion." Etsuko said.

"All right, coming right up. Matsu, Nishi, prepare their bowls!" Teuchi didn't have to watch over them as the two have become better in their service over the years.

"What are you two training for?" Kyoko asked them.

"Oh, we're going to be joining the Academy soon and we are just getting really anxious." Itachi answered her.

"Really, well I hope to see you there."

"You mean you're going to join too?"

"Yes." Their conversation was briefly interrupted as Matsu and Nishi successfully served Itachi and Etsuko their ramen, while Teuchi took Kyoko's as she had finished hers. Their conversation continued after Itachi and Etsuko had taken a few good mouthfuls of ramen.

"How did you get accepted into the Academy, Kyoko?" Etsuko asked. "Did you find some kind of benefactor?"

"No, the government is going to pay for it."

"Why would Kyoko need a benefactor?" Itachi asked.

"Oh, well, um…" Etsuko hesitated, feeling a little embarrassed.

"I'm an orphan." Kyoko answered him, the smile not fading from her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's alright, it doesn't really bother me."

It grew a little quit as Itachi and Etsuko continued to finish their bowls. They both drank the last of the broth until the bowls were licked clean. The bowls were collected and were paid for.

"Well, I better get going. I promised my dad I would be back by one, and it's about half past twelve now." Etsuko said as she got off her seat. Itachi always wondered why, but Etsuko never wore a watch. She once told him that she could tell the time by looking toward the sun. Itachi is still skeptical, but he can't think of anything else so he just let it go.

"See ya."

Itachi was left alone with Kyoko. It was a little awkward as Itachi didn't really know what to talk about. He sighed and just decided that it was time for him to go home too. Kyoko agreed with him, saying that the orphanage was expecting her back soon. The said their good-byes and began to walk in opposite directions. Itachi then suddenly turned back and ran to catch up with Kyoko.

"Wait a second!" Itachi said as he reached her. "I never got your name."

"It's Kyoko." She answered, a little confused. "I think Etsuko said it a couple of times."

"No, I never got your formal name, your clan's name."

"Oh, it's Senju. My clan's name is Senju."

Itachi was taken aback by this information and his heart skipped a beat from shock.

"Senju…" Itachi whispered to himself. He quickly recovered from his shock and smiled a big goofy grin.

"Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you, Senju Kyoko." Itachi grabbed Kyoko's right hand with his and shook it gently. Kyoko was a little surprised by Itachi's forwardness, and she blushed a little. Itachi then let Kyoko's hand go.

"You know, if you ever feel like it, you can come to my house at any time. My parent's would be happy to have you. I'll show you the way there next time we meet, alright?"

"Okay."

"Alright, see ya!" Itachi turned to run home, waving to her as he did. Kyoko waved back until he was out of sight. She turned and began to head to the orphanage. Her blush started to become worse as she began to play with her fingers.

"Uchiha Itachi, huh?"


	3. Rumors and Reminiscence

Reluctantly, Naruto agreed to go with Sakura. He kissed his wife good-bye and promised her that he would be home soon. When he and Sakura left Naruto's house, they began to simply walk down the street. As they walked together, Naruto couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Sakura. Naruto wasn't staring at her because he found her attractive. Well, she was attractive, in her own way, but Naruto wasn't the kind of guy that would ogle other women. No, the look Naruto was giving Sakura was one out of concern. He couldn't help but notice that there was something bothering her. He didn't plan to ask her about it as he was sure that whatever her mind was brooding on, that was the reason why she called him out.

"You don't mind if we stop at a restaurant." Sakura asked him. "Like I said before, I've been working all night and I'm absolutely starving!"

"Sure, I don't mind. Lead the way."

They entered the first place they came to and they were seated at a booth by a window. They were both given menus. Naruto didn't bother looking at his because he had already eaten a satisfactory breakfast. Sakura on the other hand began reading through everything on the menu with absolute concentration and anxiety. It was kind of the same look Choji got when he would read from a menu.

"What would you like to order?" Their waiter asked them after waiting a few good minutes.

"I think I'll just have some tea, thank you." Naruto replied.

He waiter jotted it down in his notepad and turned toward Sakura. "And what is your order, ma'am?"

"Yah, I'd like your customary breakfast."

"And what would you like?"

"Four pancakes, six pieces of sausage, two pieces of French Toast, and a serving of hash browns."

"Of course, you're orders will be here soon." The waiter then left.

"You weren't kidding when you said you were hungry. I hope you don't think I'm going to pay for all that."

"Why not, you are a man, right?"

"Yes, and I'm willing to pay for my tea. However, don't think for one second that you will be able to mooch off of me." When Naruto finished telling Sakura off, the waiter returned with Naruto's order.

"Your tea."

"Ah, thank you." Naruto received the cup from waiter and took a sip. "So, Sakura, there was something you wanted to talk about?"

Sakura's expression changed instantly. She avoided Naruto's gaze, but he could still tell what she was feeling. Sakura seemed to be worried about something, and there was a small hint of fear. Not fear as in for one's safety. This fear seemed to stem more from uncertainty.

"Naruto, there have been some rumors going around…" Sakura began, but Naruto cut her off.

"It's all lies I tell you. Lies! I didn't do it. I'm innocent."

Sakura just stared at him like he was an idiot. "I wasn't talking about you."

"Oh, well then never mind, please go on." Naruto said trying to look innocent.

"What did you do?" Sakura didn't need him to answer as the answer came to her instantly.

"You…you weren't the one you painted the head of Lady Tsunade on the mountain, were you?" Sakura asked, not really believing that she actually considered asking this to a grown man and hoping that that particular man would deny it.

"Maybe." Naruto replied with a prideful smile. "Although I can't full credit, my daughter certainly contributed some of her creativity."

"Ugh…" Sakura was really at a loss for words. "You know what, forget it. This isn't why I brought you out here."

"Alright then." Naruto said, continuing their past conversation. "So what kinds of rumors have been going around?"

Sakura then began to go through her pockets. She finally found what she was looking for. She pulled out an object that appeared to be a small notebook and tossed it onto the table.

"A Bingo Book?" Naruto asked.

"That's right, a Bingo Book." Sakura confirmed. "In here is information on every shinobi that Konoha has deemed dangerous, whether they are rogue or not."

"I know all about Bingo Books, Sakura. I've made it onto quite a few of them myself."

"The ones that are listed as the most dangerous are those that we know to have personal vendettas against Konoha or have already performed terrorist actions on our village."

"Sakura, I know all this already. I also know that those particular people are constantly monitored in case someone may be planning an attack." Naruto paused as the gears in his head began to turn. "I'm guessing that something like that going on?"

"Normally you would be right." Sakura stopped as the waiter came by with her order. She thanked the man and placed her plate in front of her. "However, what is making the Hokage and the ANBU nervous is in fact, a lack of activity."

"A lack of activity?"

"Exactly." Sakura signaled Naruto to lean in closer. The two of them leaned in so that they were only a couple inches away from each other. "Naruto, what I'm about to tell you is completely confidential. The only people who know this outside the ANBU are the Hokage, Shizune, and I."

"Oh, so it's some pretty juicy stuff." Naruto said with a grin.

"Naruto, try to take this seriously!" Sakura hissed.

"I know, calm down." Upon his word, Naruto attitude changed instantly. "So why are the ANBU getting so anxious from a lack of activity? Isn't that a good thing?"

"Like I said, normally you would be right about that. However, what is so troubling is that they haven't done any illegal activity at all in the past six months." Sakura stopped when she saw that Naruto was still having difficulty grasping the situation. "Naruto, they've dropped completely off the ANBU's radar. The ANBU have always kept track of rogues by their dealings with clients or by their illegal activity."

Sakura opened up the Bingo Book to where the most dangerous of shinobi are listed. "You see these people here? These people the ANBU never have trouble finding because of the ruthlessness and carelessness when it comes to their actions. But now, all of a sudden, they've just dropped off the face of the Earth."

Sakura paused as she saw that Naruto was slowly beginning to understand. "They obviously do not want Konoha on their backs right now." Sakura leaned back in her seat and gave a heavy sigh. "This is currently just speculation, but the ANBU believe, and I agree, that the entire rogue ninja who are known to despise Konoha just vanish is not a coincidence."

"You think there might be some joint operation going on." Naruto finished for her.

"Yep. So you know how serious this is. This is all speculation at this point, there is no clear evidence supporting our hypothesis. If we try to alert the other Jounin, it may cause unnecessary unrest among our ranks if this proves false. This means that everything I'm telling you cannot leave this booth, you cannot tell anyone anything. That includes Hinata."

"Oh man, you know I don't like all this secret stuff, Sakura. I don't like having to keep things from my wife." Naruto paused for a moment, contemplating on this new information. "So if this is so secretive and hush-hush, then why tell me this? I'm just another Jounin, after all. In fact, I'm curious how you know all this yourself. You are hardly one of the first people the ANBU would go to with this kind of information."

Sakura flinched when Naruto said this and tried to avoid his gaze. Something gave Naruto the impression that there was something more that she was not telling him. However, he didn't need her to say a word. He already knew what she was going to say.

"It's Sasuke isn't it?" The expression on Sakura's face when he said this confirmed Naruto's suspicious. This was obviously what was making Sakura so anxious. "I mean, it's perfectly logic that he would be at the center of it. If there was one person that could pull together all the rogue ninja, it would be Sasuke. There's no doubt he's using all their hatred for Konoha as a way to unify them."

"Yes, but I repeat, this nothing but speculation, rumors. There is no clear-cut evidence that that is what is going on. The ANBU are going to need more time with this. Also, the only reason the two of us know about it is because Sasuke might be involved. If it wasn't for that, we'd be kept in the dark like all the other Jounin."

"So because the events are not clear to us at the moment they are not going to inform anyone else? Why not inform the rest of Konoha's forces so that we might be prepared for an attack?"

"Because, if these rumors happen to be false, then we'd have unnecessarily put our forces on constant guard. If we inform them now, then we'd no doubt be prepared for an invasion. However, if no attack came, then our forces would remain on guard. Some may develop paranoia and there might be a development amongst our ranks. We simply can't have that."

"All right, all right. I'll keep my mouth shut." Naruto said as ran his thumb and pointer finger across his lips like he was zipping them.

"Oh, I know you won't talk. You're good at keeping secrets, no matter how much you dislike it." Sakura looked back at Naruto, still with a look of concern. "I'm not worried about you being able to keep a secret. What I'm worried about is what you're going to do from now. I don't want you doing anything reckless."

"Oh, come on, now why would I want to do anything rash?"

"Well, it's not like you haven't done anything before. Do you not remember the last time you confronted Sasuke. You made it perfectly clear that you planned to die at that fight, and you would take Sasuke with you. After your fight with him, no one could find you for two whole days. We all became worried, and Hinata was a wreck. I just don't want you to go and do something like that again on something that might not even be true."

"Sakura, trust me. I plan to do no such thing. What I said back then was selfish and inconsiderate. I have a family to look after now and I would never do anything that would cause them pain. My wife and kids, they mean the world to me. I couldn't live without Hinata, as I'm sure she couldn't live without me. I also plan to see my kids grow up to be successful shinobi. I'm not about to throw my life away for my own selfish reasons." Naruto took another sip of his tea.

"Besides, I wasn't the only one doing irrational things back then. Who was the one that knocked out her entire team to try and take on Sasuke alone, only to have been nearly Chidoried in the head?"

"Uhg...I know, I know. That really was a stupid on my part wasn't it? In the end, I just didn't have it in me to do it." Sakura began to stare towards the ground as she remembered the incident back in the Land of Iron.

"Do you still have feelings for him?" It was a straight forward question. One that Sakura knew she couldn't bullshit her way out of.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't. Although, I think I'm holding on to my feelings from when we were younger. When I first began to realize just how much pain he was in, all I could think about was how much I wanted to hold him and make that pain go away. It hurt me seeing him in so much strife. But now, I know that the Sasuke from back then and the Sasuke now are two completely different people. I don't know if I'd be a strong enough match for him in a fight, but I know that if I were to confront him now I would not falter like I did in the Land of Iron."

"Well, that's good to hear." Naruto said as he finished his tea. He got up and took out his frog wallet and pulled out a few ryo coins. "This should be enough to cover the tea."

"You still use that thing." Sakura said, pointing at Naruto's wallet. "Don't you think that it's just a little childish?"

"Of course I don't think it's childish. This wallet and I have been through a lot together. Besides, Hinata thinks it is absolutely adorable, and I happen to agree. Oh, and look here…" Naruto proceeded to dig into the wallet's mouth. He pulled what looked like a frog's tongue. "Its tongue holds pictures. Here look."

Naruto practically shoved the pictures in Sakura's face. The first picture, which was the one closest to where the tongue met the mouth, was one Sakura was all too familiar with. It was the picture they had taken way back when as Team 7. That picture reminded Sakura of happier times. She still had her long hair, Naruto was still the gutsy idiot, and Sasuke didn't have the curse mark. However, those good memories reminded her of the painful ones that soon followed. It made her uncomfortable, so she continued down the tongue to the next picture.

The picture was of one of Naruto and Hinata on their wedding day. Naruto was standing with Hinata, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. They were both still wearing the outfits they were married in when this picture was taken. They wore traditional Shinto-style wedding attire. Naruto was wearing a black montsuki, a white haori, and a black hakama. It was one of the few times Sakura had ever seen Naruto in formal clothing. Hinata was wearing a shiromuku and the back of her hair was tied in a bun, her bangs hung loose.

Sakura remembered attending the wedding. She had gone to a number of weddings as many of her comrades are now married themselves, but this one stayed the strongest in her memory. Naruto and Hinata wanted the wedding to be small, only wanting their closest friends and relatives to attend the ceremony, as this was traditional in a Shinto-style wedding. However, when news got around that the village hero who defeated Pain was going to wed the eldest daughter of the Hyuuga's main family, it was hard to keep the wedding on the down-low. The two had gotten married in the afternoon, so the festivities started in the evening. By the time it had gotten late, the entire village was celebrating the event. It turned out to be more like a festival then a wedding.

Of course, Sakura was among the people that were invited. In fact, she was the maid of honor. The actual ceremony took place within the Hyuuga compound, specifically within the large garden area in the center of the compound. This was so that no unwanted guest could make an appearance. Sakura remembered that the other bridesmaids were only Tenten and Ino. On the opposite side of them, there was Naruto talking with his First Man, Shikamaru, and the other groomsman, who consisted of Choji, Lee, Neji, Kiba, and Shino. He just couldn't bring himself to leave out anyone. Of course, Naruto was goofing off with Kiba and Lee. Some things just never changed, you know.

Just then, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the entrance of the garden. Hinata had just arrived, with her father by her side. Naruto instantly stood at attention, beaming as he watched Hinata walk down the aisle. When she reached the alter, the groom and bride met each others' eyes. Hinata whispered to her soon to be husband that she loved him, and he returned the gesture. Throughout the entire ceremony, Sakura watched as neither Naruto nor Hinata removed each other from their gaze. There was no doubt in her mind that she was watching the two happiest people in the world. Even afterward, when the rest of their friends married, nobody expressed the pure happiness that those two had shown that night.

Sakura then moved on to the two last pictures. The first one was of Naruto, Hinata, and the twins when they were only three. The next one was of one after Itachi was born, but he was only one at the time. Sakura remembered when each if them was born. With each one, their family grew and so did their love. Each child strengthened Naruto's and Hinata's relationship. Naruto was right when he said his family was his top priority. Sakura was beginning to regret telling Naruto about Sasuke. He didn't need this kind of drama.

"Awesome isn't it, Sakura? Sakura. Sakura!" Naruto broke Sakura out of her trance and she was brought back to the present. "Jeez, you didn't have to space out on me."

"Sorry, sorry." Sakura again let her gaze downward. "You know, don't let this Sasuke thing trouble you."

"Who says it's troubling me?" Naruto said while putting his wallet away. He turned around to leave and began to walk out of the restaurant, waving his hand goodbye to his friend. "Well, you said the information was confidential. So this talk never happened, right? See ya, later Sakura."

"Yeah, whatever." Sakura then picked up her utensils and began to devour her large breakfast; her body finally remembering the severity of her hunger.


	4. Family Conversations

Uzumaki Naruto was sitting on a bench along one of the many roads of Konohagakure. His arms were stretched out along the back of the bench as he stared up at the sky, watching the clouds go by. For a good few hours Naruto had wondered around Konoha. There was no particular reason, he just felt like taking a walk and wasn't thinking about much of anything. That's what he told himself anyway. When he finally grew tired of that, Naruto decided to just slow down and try to relax. After all, he needed to confront the problem at hand; Sasuke.

It had been years since he heard anything about his former teammate. He had been happily living his life ever since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. The world fell into such a peaceful state that, even though Sasuke was still out there, Naruto believed the hatred had been erased with Madara's death. He always knew that Sasuke would make his move at some point, but as the years went by Naruto had nearly forgotten about his old friend and began to wish that he would stay in the shadows and never resurface. The wish was foolish as much as it was selfish. The more he simply put off the dilemma with Sasuke, the more he realized that he was just making a problem for the next generation. If Naruto didn't think of something to do soon, Konoha could be looking at an incident similar to that of Orochimaru and Pain.

He began to remember what Sakura had said about confronting Sasuke. Even though she knows full well that Sasuke is way out of her league, Sakura would show no hesitation in killing him. All those years ago Naruto had his chance to kill Sasuke, but he failed. Naruto was hesitant and too preoccupied with trying to take Sasuke alive, while Sasuke only had to think about how he could get a Chidori through that blonde head of his. If he had come at Sasuke with more intent to kill, Naruto might have won that day. However, the battle ended in a draw. Both Naruto and Sasuke were lucky to come out of it alive.

Now, Naruto was thinking about how he would confront Sasuke this time around. Naruto was stronger now, there was no doubting that. Although, he knew that Sasuke had also grown over the years. When they last fought, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan was new to Sasuke, but now Sasuke has had years to master it. Naruto believed that he was physically up to the challenge, but mentally he wasn't so sure. He was afraid that he would falter again, become hesitant. Sakura said that she was perfectly prepared to face him, but Naruto couldn't say the same. He had faltered once; there was no guarantee that he wouldn't this time.

Eventually, Naruto started to feel like this kind of thinking was unhealthy, and that he was getting kind of hungry. He got up from the bench and began to journey toward his favorite eating place, the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. Has he traveled down the street toward the bar, Naruto's mood slowly started to change for the better. He eventually started to think what Itachi and Etsuko were doing. If he knew those two as well as he thought he did, they were both probably sprawled across the ground of the training area. He chuckled to himself at the thought of seeing those two wiped out from their over-extensive training. However, Naruto was so caught up in the thought that he failed to notice a person running around the corner. Naruto was taken out of his thoughts when he felt someone bump into him. Naruto looked down to see his youngest son sitting on the ground.

"Are you all right, Itachi?" Naruto asked his son.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Itachi responded and quickly got up from the ground.

"So, where were you going just now?"

"Home. I just got back from Ichiraku's."

Despite heading to Ichiraku's himself, Naruto decided to walk home with his son. Itachi began to talk about what he had been up to since he left the house that morning. It was no surprise to Naruto that Itachi said that he and Etsuko had decided to kick the crap out of each other after just walking around for a while.

"Well, it looks like you guys are slowly getting stronger." Naruto said after Itachi explained his and Etsuko's intense training session.

"Really? I don't think so. I mean, neither of us has learned anything new so we just fight each other to a standstill. Every time you send me to Kakashi-sensei I try to get him to teach me a new jutsu but he just has me do basic training exercises."

"Well, you need to learn the basics before learning any jutsu. The fact that you already know two jutsu already is an amazing feat and not most kids your age can say that. You should be grateful for what you know already and keep perfecting the basics."

"Well, did you know any jutsu when you were in the Academy, dad?"

When Itachi asked him that, Naruto had an instant flashback to the first jutsu he ever invented. It caused him to blush a little, mainly from being embarrassed from creating such a jutsu. "Yeah, I did now one, but it wasn't very good. It was more like a prank then a functional jutsu. However, it was probably the best I could have done since I never learned the basics properly. So that's why I want you to practice the basic, all right?"

"Yeah, all right." Itachi was watching his father intently the entire time since they began to walk home. Itachi knows when there is something bothering his dad and he can see it in his father's face now. However, the way his dad seemed to heavily brood over whatever was on his mind, Itachi decided that it wasn't something dad should talk to his son about. So Itachi tried to cheer up his dad instead.

"You know, dad, I met someone today."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Etsuko and I ran into her at Ichiraku's. She was really nice and she said that she was going to be entering the Academy like we are."

"So she's your age, that's good."

"She said she was an orphan just like you were when you were little dad."

"Oh, well then we should have her come over some time." Naruto was happy Itachi made a new friend. It wasn't as if he didn't like Etsuko, but he was glad Itachi would have someone else to hang around with.

"So, what is the name of your new friend?"

"Her name is Senju Kyoko."

Naruto was completely caught off guard by this information and he almost tripped over himself when it caused him to miss a step. "So she's a Senju, huh"

"Yeah…" Itachi suddenly stopped and was looking down toward the ground; a small smile was on his face. "Dad, I know it has been a good few months, but what you told me about my and my clan's legacy is still fresh in my mind. I don't if what either clan did was right or wrong; I wasn't there to experience it. However, I know that, no matter what history our clan's had, I want to be her friend."

Naruto's reaction to what his son just said was nothing short of amazement and fatherly pride. He knelt down to Itachi's level and placed his hand on his head.

"Itachi, when I decided that you ready to hear about Senju's and Uchiha's history, your mother said that you were still too young. Even when I told you, a little bit of me had agreed with her. After I had told you though, you sat there silently but a wide grin grew against your face and you said that you didn't care about what happened in the past. You said you wanted to start anew. With that, along with what you just told me, I know that you will someday find the peace that those two clans so rightfully deserve and I couldn't be more proud to call myself your father."

Itachi was wide-eyed when his father stood back up, taking his hand off of Itachi's head. "Dad…" Itachi began to cry started to rub his eyes with his arms. "…thank you."

"Of course, now why don't we go home? I'm in the mood for some of your mom's cooking."

Itachi sniffed as he managed to stop himself from crying. He looked back up to his dad with a wide smile on his face. "Yeah."

The rest of the day ended quite normally for the Uzumaki-Hyuuga household. Natsuko came home loudly talking about how awesome she was that day, while Hizashi walked in without saying much of anything other than to say hello. The day ended without any major incidents. Although, Natsuko did manage to drag Itachi into bed and began to cuddle him like a stuffed animal. It took a half hour to get him out of Natsuko's grasp. When all the children were finally in bed and asleep, Naruto and Hinata got into their own bed. As soon as they were both lying under the covers, Naruto latched himself onto his wife's backside and began to cuddle her. For Hinata, this could mean just one of two things. One would most likely lead to them just cuddling for the rest of the night, while the other would become something a bit more intimate.

"Hinata…" Hinata turned her head back to face her husband. He looked in deep thought and he was forcing a smile. She absolutely hated it when he did that because it meant that he was holding in something that was hurting him.

"You know, Itachi met a new friend today."

"Really? That's great." Hinata was really glad for Itachi, but she knew Naruto was just avoiding what he really wanted to talk about. "It's good that he is making more friends."

"She's a Senju." Just as Naruto did earlier that day, Hinata's mind did a double-take.

"Are you sure?"

"No. So far we can only go by her word, but I will check with baa-chan tomorrow." Naruto pulled Hinata closer to himself and held on tighter. "Hinata, we really have wonderful children don't we?"

"Of course, I wouldn't doubt that for a second." Hinata turned her head back and faced forward. "But Naruto, I would like to know what is really on your mind."

"Hinata?"

"Naruto, I'm your wife. There is nothing that you can hide from me." Hinata paused for a second before continuing. "It's about Sasuke, isn't it?"

"Hinata…" She could read him like a book. There really was no way he could keep something hidden from Hinata for long. He didn't like keeping secrets from his wife, but he really didn't have much of a choice this time. "I really want to talk to you about it, I really do. It's just…"

"I understand. I would think something involving Sasuke would be kept quite at first." Hinata pulled Naruto's arms off of her as she sat up. She leaned over her husband, letting her hair hang loose over her shoulder.

"Naruto, I may not know exactly what is going on, but I can say with absolute certainty that whatever you decide to do, it will be the right decision. You've always been a strong person, Naruto. Always forging on ahead, so confident in yourself and what you do. It's one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you. It hurts me to see you so uncertain and regretful. That's why I want you to know that no matter what you do, I will be behind it one hundred percent."

"Hinata…"

"So I want to see you keep moving forward, act on your instincts, and have no regrets about what you do because that is you are and I wouldn't have it any other way." Hinata leaned down toward her husband. Her face was now only a few inches from Naruto's.

"I love you, Uzumaki Naruto. I'm your wife and I will always believe in you." Then, she kissed him. She pulled away only briefly as she allowed Naruto to return the gesture. Hinata gripped her husband's shoulders as Naruto wrapped his hand around his wife's head. The two lovers pulled away to catch their breath.

"You know Hinata, this reminds me." Naruto said as he smiled up at his wife.

"We were interrupted this morning." And with that, Naruto rolled himself on top of Hinata, pulling the covers over them as they began the purest act of intimacy that two people could perform.


	5. Kyoko's Identity

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. If I did, then it would have a story instead of just a plot.

* * *

Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, was sitting at her desk; piles of paperwork lay out before her. Every day, all day, it was the same thing. She would come to the office and start filling out the paperwork that was already there, waiting for her. Then, just as she felt like she was making a decent dent in the pile of papers, a couple people would show up with even more files to fill out. The cycle repeated for nearly the whole day. And people would question why she drank. Tsunade felt that drinking was the only thing keeping her sane. So it was natural for her to have a bottle of sake beside her. She would never get to finish a bottle though. Her assistant, Shizune, would constantly confiscate her sake. It was no problem though; she always kept a spar bottle nearby.

On numerous occasions, Tsunade regretted not learning katon. This was because she would envision herself burning mountains of paperwork, laughing maniacally as she did so. She really needed to find out how her sensei, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was able to deal with this job for as long as he did. Also, even though he didn't have the position for long, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, should have found a way to deal with it all. Tsunade wanted a better habit, but drinking was just only thing she could think of. Oh well, it worked.

However, for the past few hours, Tsunade hadn't had a single sip of sake. What she had been working on was far too important. There were several folders spread out across her desk. Within the folders were the profiles of the academy students that would be taking their graduation tests next week. She had been going over possible team combinations for the soon to be Genin. She managed to create some decent combinations. However, the current team combinations were not permanent. Tsunade would have to wait see who would pass the tests next week. She will most likely have to make some changes, but hopefully it won't be anything too extreme.

Tsunade pushed the folders aside for later and began to fill out more paperwork. It was mostly just her reading over stuff and either stamping it, showing her approval, or throwing it in the trash. It wasn't difficult, but it sure was tedious. Tsunade grabbed for her sake bottle, just as Shizune walked through the door.

"Lady Tsunade, it's too early for this." Shizune said as she made her way to the Hokage's desk, intent on confiscating the sake.

"It's eleven o' clock." Tsunade replied, slowly and protectively bringing the sake bottle closer to her person.

"A little bit of sake won't hurt."

"It's eleven in the morning. No one should be drinking at this hour."

Shizune went to grab the bottle, but Tsunade quickly moved away from her reach. Shizune went to take the bottle again, only for Tsunade to repeat her action as well. It took several more attempts until Shizune was able to get a hold on the bottle. She tried to remove the bottle from Tsunade's grasp, but the Hokage held on. It took some effort, but Shizune was eventually able to confiscate the bottle.

"You shouldn't drink while you work, Lady Tsunade." Shizune told her superior. "It may be dull, but that doesn't make it any less important."

"Tch, I know that."

"Then don't drink while doing it!"

"I wasn't drinking earlier, you know. I've spent the most of the morning working on something, and you just happened to walk in when I finished and when I was about to take my first drink of the day."

"Oh, well, what were you working on?"

"The new Genin teams."

"Isn't a little early for that?"

"Naw, I can just make some quick changes when we find out who passed and who failed."

"I guess you're right. I'll leave you to your work then, Lady Tsunade." Shizune said as she left the room, and taking the confiscated sake with her. Tsunade waited until she was sure that Shizune was long gone. After a few minutes, she opened the top drawer on the left side of her desk. Inside was a key. Tsunade took the key and stuck it in the lock of the drawer under the one she got the key from. She unlocked the drawer and opened it. She pulled out a spare bottle of sake. She opened the bottle and was about to take a sip when she heard a familiar voice by her window.

"Shizune's right, you shouldn't drink this early. It sets a bad example." Uzumaki Naruto said as he climbed through the window into the Hokage's office.

"And you need to stop coming in through the window, it's rude." Tsunade countered.

"Sorry, it's become a habit. I now know why Ero-Sennin always did it; it's so much more fun then just coming in through the door. Plus, I know it annoys the Hell out of you, Baa-chan."

"Naruto I think that pissing off the Hokage while she's holding a bottle of sake is not one of the wisest things you should do." Tsunade took a swig of her sake and sighed.

"So, did you come here for something important, or did you just want to annoy me."

"I have a reason to be here, but first, I heard you saying something about already making the teams for the soon to be Genin." Naruto said as he picked up one of the folders that were lying on Tsunade's desk. However, Tsunade quickly snatched it back.

"If you know that, then you should also realize that these aren't permanent."

"I did realize that. However, I was just curious on whom you decided to group my kids with, that's all."

Tsunade glanced at the files, then back at Naruto.

"Alright fine, here." Tsunade handed Naruto a couple of folders. Naruto gratefully took them and sat down on the couch that was near the door. He opened up one of the folders and examined its contents.

"Hmm, let's see who my daughter has been grouped with." Naruto moved his daughter's profile aside to look at the other two.

The first profile that caught Naruto's attention was the profile of Hozuki Zengetsu. The eleven-year-old boy had short, messy white hair. His eyes were dark blue and he wore swimming goggles over them. Zengetsu's profile placed him as an average student. The boy's class grades never went below the class average, but they never went too far over either. However, the boy's profile notes that he shows promise in taijutsu and excels in kenjutsu when compared to his classmates. Zengetsu has a violent personality and would often get into fights with his classmates, Natsuko being the most common.

The other profile was for a tall boy named Takeo. Both his eyes and hair were colored orange. The twelve-year-old boy's hair was spiky and was grown a little past his shoulders. Takeo's hair was tied in a mid-ponytail. The boy had a hardened, almost angry, glare. However, his profile claims that he is a calm and kind individual. He was never known to cause trouble. Takeo was one of the top students in the class, always keeping his grades well above the class average. Despite the boy's high intellect, his forte lies in taijutsu.

Naruto didn't need to bother with looking at his daughter's profile, he already knew about how well she performed in class. Just like her father, Uzumaki Natsuko, was not very found of paper tests. Her test scores were often well below the class average. Although, Natsuko did manage to keep her grades above the worst ones of the class. Despite her poor test grades, Natsuko excelled in physical exercises and the more hands-on part of academy training. This was also a trait she got from her father. Naturally, Natsuko's talent leaned toward taijutsu and ninjutsu.

Naruto continued to look over the three profiles until something clicked.

"Aha, they're an assault team!"

"Oh, so you looked at your daughter's team first, did you?"

"Yeah, I did. Hozuki Zengetsu…he wouldn't happen to be Suigetsu's kid, would he?"

"Yes he would. The similarity is striking isn't it?"

"Yeah, although I didn't know Suigetsu had a kid. Actually, I didn't know he could even have children. Isn't he, like, made of water?"

"To be honest, Naruto, I was just as surprised as you were." Tsunade said. Naruto was about to speak up again, but Tsunade put up her hand, stopping him from speaking. She already knew what he was going to say.

"I looked him over beforehand, and I was convinced that he couldn't have children. But hey, I can't be right all the time."

"Alright, alright. Well, what about the other kid, Takeo, what's his deal. I mean, there's something familiar about him but I can't quite put my finger on it."

"He's Juugo's kid."

"Wai…what?" Naruto said as his mind did a double take. Naruto looked at Tsunade for reassurance. The look she gave said that he didn't mishear her.

"You're serious, that's Juugo's kid? Well I'm glad he was able to settle down with someone."

Naruto put the profiles back in the folder. He put the folder down on the couch, picked up the other folder, and opened it. Again, he moved his own child's profile aside and concentrated on the other two.

The first of the two profiles was of a ten-year-old boy, Nara Shikaki. He had straight, jet black hair that stretched down to his shoulders. His eyes were also black, a lazy expression glazed over them. Like his father, Nara Shikamaru, there was no doubt to the boy's high intelligence. However, also like his father, that intelligence never really showed itself in the classroom. Shikaki had some of the worst grades in his class. He was always sleeping, and almost never bothered to pick up his pen or pencil to take a test. During tests, instead of using his intelligence to have the top grades in the class, he uses it to figure out exactly what questions he needed to answer in order to pass. Shikaki is rarely ever seen giving over the minimum effort for anything, so it was a mystery why he had decided to take the graduation exams so early. Shikaki's skill lies primarily with his clan's ninjutsu.

The other file belonged to Aburame Shizuka, an eleven-year-old girl. Unlike the men of the Aburame Clan, Shizuka's black hair was straight and long, tied on a low-ponytail. However, the girl did sport sun-glasses that hid her eyes, just like the others from the Aburame Clan. Unfortunetly, not many people have ever seen much of her face or hair to begin with as Shizuka wears a sea-green hoodie whose zipper runs from the bottom of the jacket to the top of the hood. Shizuka wears the zipper zipped up to her mouth. You could barely make out her nose and sunglasses. Her face wasn't the only thing hidden by her hoodie. Rumor among her classmates is that Shizuka has a well developed figure for her age. This is because, despite wearing such a heavy jacket, you could still make out the outline of her breasts. The reason it's only a rumor is because no one outside her family has seen what she looks like without her hoodie. Shizuka was known to have average grades in class and her skill revolves around her clan's ninjutsu just like Shikaki.

Just like with Natsuko, Naruto didn't need to look at Hyuuga Hizashi's profile, since he was Naruto's son. Hizashi's performance within the classroom was very much the opposite of his twin sister's, Natsuko. Hizashi was a diligent studier and had a very analytical personality. These two traits allowed Hizashi to be one of the top students in his class. Also, much to Natsuko's dismay, Hizashi was skilled in the physical exercises just as he was with the intellectual ones. Hizashi's specialty, naturally, is with the Hyuuga family's Juuken. Many have said that they haven't seen such skill since Hyuuga Neji.

Just like with his daughter's group, Naruto carefully thought about what kind of team they would be.

'_Hmm…all three of them are undeniably intelligent, and with the three of them on one team you have a wide range of jutsu. Shizuka is your tracker and long-range fighter. If he is anything like his father, I easily see Shikaki being the team's strategist. His clan's ninjutsu makes him usable as a long, mid, or even a close-range fighter. Of course, Hizashi is their power-house close-range fighter. This team is very tactical, and with these three together, I can easily see them entering the Chuunin exams within a year after they graduate.'_

Naruto put the profiles back into the folder. He picked up the first folder and placed it on top of the second. He got up from the couch, walked back over to Tsunade's desk, and handed back the folders to her. Tsunade took them and placed them on top of the folders with the other organized groups. Tsunade looked back at Naruto with a smirk.

"So, what did you think?"

"Both Natsuko's and Hizashi's team show a lot of promise. I really hope they all pass, I really think those six can go far together."

"I agree. Out of all the teams I put together, those two I believe show the most potential. I would be surprised if any of them were to fail. Although, I hear your daughter tends to have the same problem as you did with chakra control."

"You don't need to worry about Natsuko, trust me on that."

"All right then."

Tsunade collective the folders and put them away in her desk.

"Now, what was it that you came hear for?"

"Hm?"

"The reason why you decided to hop through my window and into my office." Tsunade said, taking a sip of her sake.

Naruto was silent as he tried to remember after being distracted. His face made him look like a child trying to decide what ice-cream flavor he wanted. Eventually, the light bulb in his head turned on and Naruto placed his fist into his palm.

"Ah, that's right. I came here to ask you about someone."

"Who?"

Tsunade took another sip.

"Senju Kyoko."

And that second sip ended up all over Naruto's face. Naruto wiped the sake clean with a cloth Tsunade gave him, after apologizing.

"That was gross."

"Well, I didn't really think you would ask about her. Hell, I didn't even think you even did know about her."

Tsunade paused to take another sip of sake.

"When did you meet her?"

"To be honest, I haven't yet. I only just heard about her yesterday. Apparently, Itachi met her at Ichiraku's with Etsuko."

"Really? It hasn't been that long since you told him of his heritage. I'm a little worried how he took it."

"Oh, that won't be a problem. Kyoko being a Senju didn't seem to bother Itachi one bit. In fact, he's just going to try that much harder to befriend her."

"He's not just going to befriend her just because she's a Senju, is he?"

"No, I don't think so. I believe he took a liking to her to begin with."

"Well that's good." Tsunade said with a small smile. She took another sip of sake.

"So what did you want to know about her?"

"Hm?"

"What did you want to ask about Kyoko?"

"Oh, I just wanted to know if she was really a Senju. I know that's what she said her name was, and from what I heard from Itachi, she isn't the type to lie about something like that. Still, I was skeptical."

"Why?"

"Well, we all know that Konoha was originally founded from the alliance of the Senju and Uchiha clan's. It wasn't until some time later that other clan's began to join. Over time, the Senju clan had mixed in with the other clan's to ensure their allegiance. The only clan's I can think of that where exempt from this where the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans, for obvious reasons. It wasn't just the ninja clans either. The Senju clan had branched out so much among the citizens of early Konoha that the Senju name all but disappeared."

"If you really think about it, almost everyone within Konohagakure can trace there heritage back to the Senju clan. Everyone has at least some Senju blood in them; I wouldn't be surprised if I did as well. Still, just because I have a small Senju heritage, doesn't make me a Senju."

"I can understand that, but Kyoko is a Senju. I'm one hundred percent sure."

"Really, did you test her or something?"

"No. I could have, but I didn't find it necessary."

"Why?"

"Well, it could be for the fact that I knew her parents personally and was the one who delivered that girl into this world." The Hokage replied sternly.

"Oh." Was all Naruto could say. He was surprised by Tsunade's response and was now feeling a little embarrassed.

"So her father was a Senju?" Naruto asked, still not entirely convinced.

"Yes, he was. Why are you still so skeptical?"

"Well, it's just that, after the death of your younger brother, I thought you became the last of the Senju clan."

"Me, the last, what gave you that idea?"

"Well you haven't really mentioned any other relatives other than your brother."

"Well for your information, I did have cousins. Just because I've never mentioned them, doesn't mean they didn't exist."

"Oh, well…wait, if you had cousins then that means you had uncles and aunts as well, right?"

"Well, duh." Tsunade said, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I'm just a little surprised, that's all. The seal used to contain the Kyuubi weakens during childbirth. The fact that you had any other relatives means that Hashirama had more then one child, and I didn't think he would have taken that risk."

"Well, first, he did. He actually had three children to be exact."

"Damn."

"Secondly, how would you know that the seal weakened during childbirth? Last time I checked you were a guy and have never given birth to anything."

"No, but I know this because Uchiha Madara used my birth as an opportunity to kidnap my mother, remove the Kyuubi and, well, I think you know the rest."

Tsunade's expression saddened and eyes became downcast. She knew fully well what had transpired on the day of the Kyuubi's, or more like Madara's, assault on Konoha thirty-two years ago. She wasn't actually in the village when it happened, but she definitely gathered plenty of information. She became heartbroken when she heard about Minato's and Kushina's deaths. She was never aware that Kushina was ever pregnant, though. When she heard that the Kyuubi was resealed within an infant, called Uzumaki Naruto, she just assumed that Konoha had managed to find another Uzumaki. It wasn't until she had actually met the boy that she was able to connect the dots. It took Tsunade less then five minutes to realize that Naruto was Minato's and Kushina's son. With his father's blonde hair and blue eyes and his mother's energetic personality, the identity of Naruto's parentage was painfully obvious.

"Yeah, I definitely know the rest. Now, I'm pretty sure I know why you're so interested to know if I had other relatives."

"You do? Then I guess you know what I want to ask you then."

"I do, as well as the answer. Senju Kyoko is the great-great-granddaughter of Senju Hashirama."

* * *

**Author's Note:** It has been a LONG time since I updated this story. I apologize if I gave anyone the impression that I had abandoned this story. There a plenty of reasons why I have been unable to update, and any fellow writer reading this would be able to understand that certain extenuating circumstances can keep them from writing. However, I am not going to list out these reasons as that is not the purpose for the AN. Now, since it has been so long since my last update for BTC, some people might decide to reread the previous chapters. Well, I went back and decided to fix up the first four chapters, mainly to fix any misspellings and make them easier to read. I also ended up making another change as well. Originally, Naruto was thirty-one when Itachi was born. Now, Naruto was twenty-six when Itachi was born. The main reason for this change is because I realized how OLD everyone was. Mainly this was for Kakashi, Yamato (he will be appearing later), and Tsunade. Also, there will plenty of time skips here and there and would rather have Naruto NOT be in his mid-late fourties by the end of this story. Although he will be in his early fourties by the end. The difference is only five years. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I promise a new chapter much sooner then later. RATE AND REVIEW.


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